The Area

About the “Driftless Region”

The “Driftless Region” in Southwest Wisconsin consists of hills and valleys conducive to growing vegetables. This area has one of the highest concentrations of organic farmers in the country (more than 220 organic farms).

Needs that CHS Addresses

Our region lacks access to the structured coordination, processing, and distribution infrastructure necessary to provide hunger relief and increase healthy eating among low-income consumers. Food pantries do not have the infrastructure to source fresh produce and lack resources to promote the health benefits to their clientele.

Consumers lack knowledge of how to cook fresh vegetables and enjoy the health benefits. The result is that an abundance of food is wasted in the fields while underserved populations suffer from a lack of healthy food and the skills to cook/serve it properly.

Although the region produces an abundance of healthy produce, a large segment of the rural population lacks access to this food. These food deserts create challenges for low-income residents to obtain healthy food and put additional stress on local food pantries.

Consumers lack knowledge of how to cook fresh vegetables and enjoy the health benefits. The result is that much food is wasted in the fields while low-income, underserved populations suffer from a lack of healthy food and the skills to cook/serve it properly.

CHS’ Solutions:

CHS captures healthy food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to those in need of hunger relief.

CHS partners with a Nutrition Educator to work with food pantry personnel, to provide assistance to their recipients with cooking skills training.